Vacuum cleaner



Oct. 25, 1938. E. CAMPBELL 2,134,396

VACUUM CLEANER I Filed Sept. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :4 q 19 4o Il/fl/ll I Lav 2 25 29 INVENTORY gaw /"e0 Camper ATTORNEYS.

E CAMPBELL VACUUM CLEANER Oct. 25, 1938.

Filed Sept. 23, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 raz\\\\\\\\\\\ INVENTOR. 40 (an Hep Ca MPEEZ. L

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 25, 1938 VACUUM CLEANER Edward Campbell, Detroit, Mich., assignor cf one-fifth to Mich.

Sherman '1'. Handy, Lansing,

Application September 23, 1935, Serial No. 41,753

7 Claims.

' This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and it has to do especially with that type of vacuum cleaner commonly used for household purposes where each cleaning unit is equipped with its own power drive, which usually takes the form of an electric motor.

The objects of the invention are to provide a cleaner of simple rugged construction, but one capable of an eflicient operation and one which can be constructed along small lines, which may be so arranged that the cleaner or part thereof may be pushed under articles of furniture or the like. Another object of the invention is the provision of a vacuum cleaner which may have a mouth or inlet opening of considerable width and which is provided with an agency which may extend throughout a substantial portion of the width of the opening for setting up and effecting movement of the air and particles carried thereby through the channel way in the cleaner to- Ward the dust-receiving receptacle. Other ob,- jects will appear as the detailed description progresses in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Fig.' 1 is a view of a vacuum cleaner which may be constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a. vertical longitudinal section taken through the body of the cleaner.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view which, in the main, is a top plan view with parts cut away and parts shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken substantially on'line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detailedsectional view taken on line 1-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

The body of the vacuum cleaner is. generally represented at I having a handle Zwhich may be attached to the body by forked arms 3 pivotally mounted on projections 4 which may be fastened to or be integral with the body I. The bodyv has an outlet member 5 to which a dustreceiving bag 6 may be attached in the usual manner.

The body I, as shown in Fig. 2, may be a casting, preferably of light metal such as aluminum or an aluminum alloy; with a relatively large portion ID at one end and with a taperingportion II which may taper down to a relatively small end [2. The housing portion i0 is for the purpose of accommodating an electric motor l3. The interior of the housing maybe provided with thickened lug portions l5, and the motor frame may have projecting lugs I 6 and the motor may be held in position by cap screws [1 passing through the lugs l6 and screw threaded into the thickened portions l5. A driven member is shown at l8. This member may be integral with the motor shaft, and is preferably so arranged, although it may .be a separate pin attached to the motor shaft. One end of the member- I8 is .iournaled in the small portion I2 of the housing. An example of such a journal is shown in Fig. 2 and may comprise a screw threaded bushing I9 to be screwed into the end of the housing and recessed to form a bearing for the end of the shaft. An antifrictionthrust bearing 2i may be. provided to take the end thrust. The opposite end of the member may be journaled in the opposite end of the body member by means of a bushing l9a, as shown, and a thrust bearing 2 I a may be used.

The member l8 carries for the portion of its length, a member in thenature of a screw or worm 22. This member is of helical form with a relatively thin wall, similar in nature to the corresponding portion of an auger or drilling bit, and this member preferably carries brush elements 23. The peripheral edges of the screw are preferably arranged to contact with the carpet or rug to act as a beater, and the brush elements are so located to brush the carpet or rug and are located on the rear side of the helical fin formatibn. Preferably, the screw member is integral with the member l8.

The member l8 also carries one or more fan elements. These elements are shown in Fig. 2 as being constituted by a fan member having a hub portion 26 fastened to the member. The fan has a central disc-like partition 21 and fan blades 28 on one side of the partition and fan blades 29 on the other. This forms a multiple fan.

The bottom of the housing I is open so that the motor, member l8 and fan, all as a unit, may be inserted into the body through the bottom, the

cap screws I! then being located and the end bearings l9 and Na positioned and adjusted. The open mouth .of the body is shown at 30. At the location of the screw the mouth may be reduced to the proper and most efl'lcient width by plates 34 secured'as by means of screws to the body. The outlet spout 5 is in alignment with the fans so that the fans force dust laden air centrifugally through the spout into the bag.

The centrifugal fans are located in a sort of a chamber 3| defined in part by ribs 32 and 33 on the interior of the housing, but the arrangement leaves an opening 34 connecting the fan chamber to the tapered part II of the housing and an opening 35 leading into the opposite side of the fan chamber. The bottom of the body is closed underneath the motor and fan by a plate 36 attached to the body by screws 31, as shown, and this plate has upstanding ribs 38 and 35 which cooperate with the ribs 32 and 33 in such a man- 'ner that the openings 34 and 35 are defined by inlet opening 43 just forward of the motor housing and which is constituted by' the bulged or border portion 44 extending along the front of the body I. The opening 43 in front of the motor is preferably closed off from the channel formed by the remaining part of the bulged portion 44 by a partition 45, and the opening 30 is prefer ably closed off by a partition 45.

The cleaner may advantageously be supported by a three-point contact with the floor. At the heavy end where the motor is located the body i is formed with a chamber 50 in which is mounted a carriage 5| having rollers 52 and 53 spaced fore and aft of the machine. An offset bracket 54 may extend through the wall of the housing and is adjustable by a screw threaded adjusting nut 55. This adjustment serves to raise and lower the mouth of the cleaner with respect to the underlvingsurface. The third support may be cons ituted by a slide member 55 which may e pivot-ally mounted as at 51 to a portion of one of the projections 4 and which may be vertically adiusted by a screw threaded nut 58. This three-' p int suspension serves to hold the entire mach ne elevated on the floor, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be appreciated that after the motor, fans and shaft have been located in the housin that the plate 36 is located, which closes in the motor compartment, forms an enclosure underneath the centrifugal fans, and with its partition portions 33, 39 and 40 completes the interior partitioning effect in the housing.

In the operation of the machine the centrifugalfan blades 25 draw air from under the machine through the tapered. part of the housing, and the air and particles carried thereby enter the fan chamber through the opening 34, and are discharged through the spout 5 into the dust bag. The brush 33 brushes the floor and agitates the floor covering after the fashion of a sweeper. The direction of rotation is such that the screw and brush carried thereby tends to move the air and particles axially toward the fan elements. This aids in preventing deposits of dirt, dust or other particles: in this portion of the machine and adds to the eiilciency of the movement of the dust laden air. The fan blades 28 draw air from underneath the machine through the opening 43 into the space 42 through the opening 35 and discharge the same centrifugally through spout 5 into the dust bag. In this man ner suction action is obtained substantially throughout the width of the machine, except for that small portion immediately underlying the fan housing. Even the surface underlying this portion of the machine is Subjected to air movements because the air is being drawn in through opening 33 on one side of the housing and opening 43 on the other, and the fan housing may be, and preferably is, relatively narrow.

A machine thus constructed may be quite light I so that it is easy to handle, is extremely low in over-all dimensions, and the tapered end may easily be pushed underneath the furniture. Dueto the fact that multiple fans'are used there is suflicient air drawn from opposite sides of the 10 fan chamber; and the rotary screw, its brush or beater, agitates or loosens the dust particles. Due to the fact that the motor drives the fans and brush elements directly, any power transmitting agency, such as a belt, gears or the like, is eliml5 inated, thereby simplifying and cheapening the structure and minimizing the number of parts which may need repair or replacement.

In the claims appended hereto the term "screw is used to describe the element in the tapered part 20 of the housing. This is used in the sense analogous to the use of this word on screw propellers and is intended to describe an element which has longitudinal feeding action in the nature of a screw auger or helically wound member.

It will be noted that the screw member constitutes a combined beater and brush, the peripheral edges of the screw serving to beat the carpet while at the same time the carpet is brushed. This element serves an additional function, 30 namely, that of moving the air and/or the particles of dust or dirt therein in an axial direction. To this end there is an eilicient movement of dust laden air through the body and to the fan.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner for floors, a hollow body having an inlet opening in its bottom, means for supporting the body with its bottom substantially parallel to a floor, said hollow body having a housing at one end, a driving motor in 40 the housing/a fan in the hollow body for setting up air currents, and for creating a reduced pres sure at the inlet opening, an air propelling screw member with a solid screw formation in the hollow body having brush means on the periphery of 45 the screw formation projecting into the inlet opening, said fan and screw being mounted rotatably on a common axis and driven by the motor and said screw formation being arranged to propel air toward the fan, said body having an on outlet opening adjacent the fan and leading to a dust receiver.

2. In a vacuum cleaner for floors, a body member having a transverse hollow structure, a motor housed in one end of the body, a fan in the 55 body for setting up air currents, said body having an inlet opening in its bottom and an outlet opening adjacent the fan leading to a dust re-. ceptacle, means for supporting the body with the inlet opening adjacent'the floor, an air propel- 6 0 ling screw member with solid thread formations. in the hollow body for propelling air toward the inlet side of the fan and havng brush means on the peripheral portions of the thread formation projectinginto the inlet member, said fan 65 and screw being mounted rotatably on the axis of the motor and driven thereby.

3. In a vacuum cleaner for floors, a body member of hollow formation having. relatively large cross dimensions at one end and tapering to 70" ing motor. housed in the large end of the memsolid thread formations in the tapering housing ber, fan means adjacent the motor,'said body member having an inlet opening at the bottom of the tapering portion and substantially paralleling the floor, an air propelling screw member with solid thread formations in the tapering portion of the body member for propelling air toward the air inlet side of the fan and having brush means on the peripheral portions which projects into the inlet opening, the fan means and screw member being mounted upon a'common axis and driven by the motor. i

4. In a vacuum cleaner foriioors, a body member of hollow formation having relatively large cros's dimensions at one end and tapering to relatively small cross dimensions at the opposite end whereby the cleaner may be projected under furniture, a driving motor housed in the large end of the member, fan means adjacent the motor, said body member having an inlet opening at the bottom of the tapering portion substantially paralleling the floor, means for supporting the body member so that the inlet opening is adjacent the fioor, an air propelling screw member with solid thread formations in the tapering portion of the body member for propelling air toward the inlet side of the fan and having brush means on the peripheral portions of its thread formation which projects into the inlet opening, the fan means and screw member being driven by the motor, said screw member being of tapering form corresponding to the tapering form of the housing.

5. In a vacuum cleaner for floors, a hollow body member having an opening in its bottom and constituting a part of the driven member and having brush means on the peripheral portions of its thread formation which projects into the inlet opening, said screw member propelling air toward the air inlet side of the fan, said body member having an outlet adjacent the fan means leading to a dust receiver.

6. In a vacuum cleaner for floors, a hollow body member of tapering form, and adapted to have its smaller end projected under furniture, a driving motor housed in the large end of the body, fan means adjacent the motor and in the relatively large portion of the body, said body member having an opening in its bottom defined by walls substantially paralleling the floor, means for supporting the body member with the opening adjacent the floor, means for closing the opening underneath the motor and fan, a tapered air propelling screw member with solid screw thread formations in the tapering part of the housing for propelling air toward the fan and having brush means ,on the peripheral portions of the screw formation projecting into the inlet opening, said body having an outlet means adjacent the fan means and extending to a dust receiver.

7. In a vacuum cleaner for floors, a hollow body member of tapering form, a motor housed in the large-end of the body, said body having an opening in its lower portion, means supporting the body with the opening adjacent a floor, a fan adjacent the motor and arranged to be 'driven thereby for creating areduced pressure at the opening, outlet means in the body for the passage of dust-laden air from the fan, and a screw member having screw formations of solid wall construction, said screw member being of tapering form and extending substantially from the fan to the smaller endof the body, said screw member being operably connected to the motor to be rotated thereby and arranged to overlie said opening and adapted to propel air axially of the screw member and toward the fan.

EDWARD CAMPBELL. 

